Sierra Lutheran News December 2010

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Sierra Lutheran NewsDecember 2010

CHRISTMAS COMES TO US ONCE MORE

By Pastor John Saethre

We who live in the Sierra foothills and mountains enjoy the beauty of Christmas more than most. Recent snowsand cooler weather gets us thinking more about this “most wonderful time of year.” But for those who believe inthe true meaning of Christmas, it is a time of wonder as we consider what God had done that first Christmas asthe angels broke forth from heaven to those shepherds watching their flocks in the fields by night: “Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:14)

The mystery of Christmas is revealed in full glory to Mary and Joseph – a child is born as the Angel Gabriel had

promised, whose name would be called “Jesus,” or in Hebrew, “The Lord saves.” The mystery of Christmas isthat God makes the first move to save a world of sin. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. (2 Cor.5:18) God is the one who initiates a relationship with us. Our natural bent is to run pell-mell in the oppositedirection and live for ourselves, ignoring the Source of joy and happiness, the Christ of Christmas. But Godpursues us through His grace. He doesn‟t force Himself upon us, like a battering-ram breaking down our castledoors. He comes in a way that almost goes unnoticed by the world dominated by the proud and powerful – on adark, cold night in Bethlehem, the baby Jesus is born in a stable because there was no room in the inn.

God made the first move in fixing the world‟s mess. Religion and keeping the Law couldn‟t bridge the gap of sinbetween us and God. Those Pharisees and Sadducees tried as they may, couldn‟t find peace with God, becausethe breaking of one commandment meant breaking them all. Only God could make things right with the world, soHe sent His one and only Son – to be one of us, human flesh. I consider the incarnation one of the most profoundtruths of scripture: The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. (John 1:14) The word, “to dwell”



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ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE

We invite you and your family and friends to a number of wonderful worship opportunities the month ofDecember:

First Sunday in Advent, November 28 – Sermon: “The Promise of Christmas,” Isaiah 2:1-5Second Sunday in Advent, December 5 – Sermon: “The Peace of Christmas,” Isaiah 11:1-10Third Sunday in Advent, December 12 – Michael Kingsley, pulpit guest.Advent Service, Wednesday, December 15, 7:00 p.m. – Robert DuPree and Pastor John will preach adialogue sermon centering on the Promises of the Old Testament and the Fulfillment of the New Testament.

Healing stations will be available for God‟s special touch. Fourth Sunday in Advent, December 19 – Christmas Cantata: “Ceremony of Candles,” a joint worshippresentation by Sierra Lutheran and Auberry Community Church. The Cantata is directed by Fran Garwick andFred Blesse and to be held at both services.Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, December 24 at 7:00 p.m. – Join the choir and Praise Team incelebrating Christ‟s birth by singing the carols of Christmas. Children are invited to gather around theChristmas tree to hear Lynda Qualls tell the story of the animals of Christmas. We conclude this night of nightsby singing “Silent Night” as we raise our candles to brighten a once dark sanctuary.

A VISION TO FEED OUR PEOPLE IN TOUGH TIMES

Randell and Anne Widner are offering their ranch facilities to raise vegetables in anticipation of tough economictimes and food shortages. The vision God gave them is to help the people of Sierra Lutheran supplement theirfood needs, as well as helping bolster the food bank with supplies. They have a greenhouse, equipped withgas, electric and water so we can raise vegetables year-around. They also have outdoor land available forlarge gardens, as well as 15 acres to accommodate cattle and sheep. Pray about this vision, and if God isleading you or your life group or team to participate in this amazing vision, contact Randell or Anne at 323-9999.

THANK YOU

Thank you to all who helped make the Advent Workshop on November 28 such a success. The place was a-b i h l j i h h d d f d h



Notes from the Administrator. . .

“Love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the LORD is your life.”

Deuteronomy 30:20

Hope you have enjoyed this recent change of weather! It seems to me that it has set the mood for the holiday

season! There were many things to be thankful for as we celebrated Thanksgiving. I was reminded what Paul said in

1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Even when times

are tough, we are called to give thanks, for we know our God is faithful and will walk beside us always, and even

carry us through those times when we cannot do it on our own. With that knowledge, I will try to remember to give

thanks, praise and glory to God always!

We now move into the ‘Christ’mas season! Now this is the ultimate reason to thank God. He gave us the gift of His

son as our savior! Thank you God!

I recently heard a comment on KLOVE that I felt was something needing to be passed on. As we end our reading

through the bible in a year challenge, it made me think of what’s next? I need a “next” to look forward to. What will

it be? The comment on KLOVE was something like this, “are you reading God’s Word to complete a challenge, or are

you reading it for a ‘change’?” I’ve done both! I met the challenge the first time I read through it many years ago,

but wasn’t sure I was meeting God there. Each successive time I’ve read it, I have met God there in new anddifferent ways! It’s the journey I’m on. I no longer want the challenge, but I do want the relationship that I find

when I truly expect God’s inspired Word to come to life for me. That’s where He reveals His nature to me and shows

me just how much He loves me, His favorite! You are also His favorite! Are you excitedly looking forward to reading

His love letter to you? If you choose to ‘challenge’ yourself in 2011, let it be for a ‘CHANGE’, not just for the

challenge! I look forward to hearing more God’s Word testimonies as He speaks to us this next year!

On an administrative note, I have a couple of reminders to pass on:

If you use a classroom or bathroom that requires a key to lock, please be sure it is locked when you are done

using it.

If you use the office workroom, please be sure you leave it neat and tidy. We seem to accumulate many odd

(b k l l ) h h l ld h



Praise Team News

December, 2010Hi Church,

How are you doing with your Bible reading? Ican’t believe we are almost done! If you’re caught up,

you are reading the prophets, like Jeremiah andEzekiel. I can’t help but be thankful that God didn’t

call me to deliver such awful news to His people. Sodid God stop calling? Absolutely not! What is God

calling us to do?

Ps. 95:6 Come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before

the Lord our Maker.

John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you

love one another,

just as I have loved you.”

Matt. 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and His

righteousness; andall these things shall be added to you.”

Do these sound like songs? You’re right! If you ever

forget what your purpose in life is, just start singing!

I believe God wants us to seek, worship, and love

right where we are every day. Do you work away fromyour home? Find a way to seek Him, worship Him, andlove His people where you work! Do you work in the

home like me? It’s a bit easier isn’t it? We don’t have

di t ti B t d ’t l t d d !

KITCHENCORNER

I just got home fromour SundayBreakfast, church

service and annualmeeting. We dohope you enjoyedyour breakfast. Wehave a great crewthat climbed out of their beds very earlyand entered the

kitchen with a smile.We will be givingthe general fund$119.93.

I saw the followingon a stitchery thatwas framed and itreally stayed withme. I want to shareit with you.



Freefalling Youth Fundraiser

Christmas Talent SHOW/ Dinner

Date: December 18, 2010

Time: 6:00 pm

Location: Sierra Lutheran Church



[Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position the text box anywhere in the document.Use the Text Box Tools tab to change the formatting of the pull quote text box.]

CHRISTmas Greetings from Outreach!

With the snow we experienced today ( Nov. 21st) it seems to have put everyone into the holiday spirit. The day

before Thanksgiving we passed out all the hats, gloves, scarves, and socks that were donated to our local Food Bank.I want to express my profound appreciation for the generosity of everyone in the congregation. Special thank you's

are in order for the Hope and Joy Team as they very kindly donated many items for this very worthwhile project. Withthe weather turning cold this outreach of warm clothing came at a perfect time.

Paul and Arlene Jumps headed up the Angel Tree for Wish-i-Ah again this year. This outreach project has been an actof love that has touched many patients who never have anyone come to visit. Getting special gifts from people whocare really helped to brighten their lives, especially at Christmas. Again, everyone in the congregation is a part of theOutreach Team and many helped to cover all the wishes of the patients in need.

We are hoping to gather some Carolers to sing to the patients at Wish-i -ah, as well as sing to some other people inthe area. This is still "in the works" but anyone interested, please feel free to contact Lynda Qualls at 855-2686.

Outreach has had an excellent start this year. I truly feel the presence of the Holy Spirit working in the hearts andminds of people in our congregation. Blessings to all in this season of CHRISTmas. Remember: Jesus is the Reason for

the Season. Reach out and let people know this. Arms are for hugging. Find lots of opportunities to embrace asmany people as you can this month. Take time and listen, for many people just need someone to listen to them.Thank you, one and all for your generosity this past year! As always, if you have not talked to someone in awhile, pickup the phone and give them a call! Better yet, go over and visit a person who might be feeling lonely or left out.

Lynda Qualls

Hope and Joy

Hope and Joy will meet

for their Christmas

Party, noon, Dec 11th at

the home of Doreen

Indonesia MissionAs the date for my trip gets closer, I get more exited each day. I know that God will

use this time for His honor and glory. I fully expect He will introduce me to great and wonderful people in a whole new corner of His beautiful world. I pray that God

would lead and use me to not only show His love but also that of a little church in

the hills. Thank you all for your prayers and contributions. I can’t wait to share all

the news when I return



NEWSLETTER:

I hope you all have had a Blessed Thanksgiving, and may your Christmas be aJOLLeY One!

I would like the Newsletter to be easy to read and enjoyable to look at. That ithelps keep you up to date with church information.To help me with the Newsletter I have a few questions for you:

1) Do you read the newsletter online or do you print the newsletter?2) Do you pick up a copy of the newsletter in the Narthex, and has there

always been one available?3) Do you know anyone in town or out of town with an e-mail address that

would like to receive the Newsletter?4) Are you having any problems opening the Newsletter attachment?

(The Newsletter will be saved as a Word 97 – 2003 Document)5) Any items you would like to see in the Newsletter?

(Birthdays and/or Anniversaries?)

You can e-mail ([email protected]) your answers or suggestions, orthe old fashion way we can talk face to face or call me at 855-4048.

Newsletter articles dueThe 4th Monday of the Month

BITS AND PIECES:

Please help keep ourpropane costs down!

If you need to adjust thetemperature in any of ourclassrooms just use the up& down arrows to desired

temperature. DO NOTmove switch to manual atanytime. On auto it willreturn to programmed

schedule after a short time.Keeping our cost at a

minimum.

After Jan.1st we will besorting thru items

accumulated over the yearsin classrooms and storage

building. If you havebrought items, ie;

costumes, decorations, etc

that you are concerned withplease contact Mike Jolley

855-4048. Please knowthat we will not be

discarding valuable items,only outdated, broken or

unusable items.

Nursery:

Please turn off the portableheater in the nursery when

you leave the room.



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THE STORY OF THE LITTLE WHITE CROSS IN THE YARD

The story starts in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

The crosses are a statement of support for

Frankenmuth’s Christian Foundation.

An atheist complained because the city allowed

two crosses on a bridge. He requested that they be

removed and the town removed them. He decided he was

so successful, the city shield should also be changed since

it had on it a heart with a cross inside signifying the city’s Lutheran beginnings. At that point, hundreds of

residents made their

opinions known by placing small crosses in their front yards

We want you to be a part of a small quiet but powerful

Statement that is being made across America.

The Paul & Arlene Jump’s Bible study group are making

white crosses with a dove on them for you to put in your yard.

These crosses will be sold for $5.00.

If questions call Paul at 855-2261, Shirley Markus 855-8990

or Sue Gallegos 855-3951.

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Sierra Lutheran News 9

December 2010 Worship Assistants

December 5 December 12 December 19 December 26

Altar Guild Susan/Shelley Shelley Shelley/Becky Shelley

Greeters 9 am John & Joyce Rod & Marcia Alan & Sue Gloria & Barbara

11 am Jim & Shirley T. George Jerry & Carol Randell & Anne

Ushers 9 am Dave & Joni Pat & Jim C’Rae & Bill John & Joyce& & & & Stacey Linda W Jenny Bob

11 am Jim & Shirley T. George Jerry & Carol Randell & Anne

Readers 9 am Nordine Pat Alan Bob

11 am Fran Stan Shelley Shelley

God’s Word 9 am ---- ??? ---- ???

Computer 9 am Shelley Tim Shelley Carol/Shelley

Communion 9 am John & Lori Assistants & Nordine No

Communion11 am Lynda

Prayer 9 am Yes YesStations

If you are unable to serve when scheduled please ask one of the other assistants to trade dates or provide a substitution for you,and notify Worship Coordinator Shelley Telles (855-5703) of the change.



Sierra Lutheran News 10

December 2010

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 26:30pm-Praise Team7:00pm-AA Meeting

7:00pm-KitchenMeeting

3 4

5 Second SundayIn Advent

9:00am-Celebration11:00am-Heritage4:00pm-AA Meeting6:33pm-Ascend 633

67:00pm AA Meeting

77:00pm-Choir Practice


10 119:00am Joseph’s

Store House

12 Third SundayIn Advent9:00am-Celebration11:00am-Heritage4:00pm-AA Meeting6:33pm-Ascend 633

137:00pm AA Meeting 147:00pm-Choir Practice 157:00pm-AdventService

166:30pm-Praise Team7:00pm-AA Meeting

17 18

19 Fourth SundayIn Sunday

9:00am-Celebration11:00am-Heritage4:00pm-AA Meeting

6:33pm-Ascend 633

207:00pm AA Meeting


229:00am-Food Bank

236:30pm-Praise Team7:00pm-AA Meeting

247:00PM-

CHRISTMAS EVECANDLELIGHT

SERVICE

25CHRISTMAS DAY

269:00am-Celebration11:00am-Heritage4:00pm-AA Meeting6:33pm-Ascend 633

277:00pm AA Meeting

NEWSLETTERDEADLINE



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Sierra Lutheran News December 2010